Machine for cleaning fiber



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(N0 Model.)

S. B. ALLISON. MAGEINE EOE CLEANING EIBEE.

No. 568,225. Patented Sept. 22, 1896.

2 Sheets-Sheet v2.

No Model.)

S. B. ALLISON.

" MACHINE POR GLEANING FIBER.

Patented Sept. 22, 1896.

Tn: nonms PETERS oo. Hom-uwe., WASHINGTON. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL BENJAMIN ALLISON, OF NEW' ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

MACHINE FOR CLEANING FIBER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 568,225, datedSeptember 22, 1896.

Application filed February 24, 1896. Serial No. 580,506. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL BENJAMIN AL- LIsON, a resident of NewOrleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Cleaning Fiber; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it pertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to amachine for separating the iibrous and woodyparts of various leaves and plants; and its object is to effect this inan economical and efcient manner without rehandling the material; andthe invention consists in the matters hereinafter described andparticularly pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a partial section of themachine. Fig. 2is a similar view of a modification.

Numeral l indicates the main frame of the machine, shown only in part.

2 is an endless belt to feed stal-ks, leaves,

or the like to the machine.

3 andt denote belt supporting and moving rollers. About three-sixteenthsof an inch above roller 4 and cooperating therewith is acircumferentially-grooved roller 5 to split the stalks, which are nextimmediately moved between and transversely broken by alongitudinally-grooved roller 6, coperating with a roller 7. The woodyparts of the stalks having been split and broken are drawn up betweenroller 6 and a curved bed 8, formed in the adjacent face of a block 9 orother equivalent construction. At the lower end of said bed 8 is aroller-scraping edge l0, adapted to clear roller 7 and guide thematerial upwardly.

1l denotes a scutching-roller provided with curved blades 12 and elasticrubbing-bars 13 or other like devices. This roller rotates in thedirection of the arrow under a hood or cover 14, and bymeans of theair-current thus generated and the coperating eect of the said bladesand bars the material is bent across the upper edge of the block anddown between the roller and said block, which latter has alongitudinally grooved or corrugated working bed l5, conforming toroller ll. 1G indicates the ribs, corrugations, or proextend below toabout the vertical central plane of the roller.

23 denotes a guard to prevent the refuse woody fragments carried beyondthe edge of the bed 15 from falling onto a roller 17, situated below.The block 9 preferably extends under roller l1 near to orbeyond itsvertical central plane to prolong its curved bed 15, so that its lowerextremity has nearly a horizontal situation. The lower edge of the bedl5 may be protected, if desired, with elastic material IIS. At this edgethe curtain of iiber jections on the bed. The corrugated bed may islargely separated from the broken wood,

which is driven and blown out in an approximately horizontal direc-tion,as indicated. The sliver falls and is drawn in between a smooth concavebed 19 and the roller 20, provided with brushes 2l andcircumferentiallygrooved rotating combing-rollers 22. The latter combthe sliver and straighten the fibers, and the brushes separate therefrommore of the refuse wood.

The guard 23 is curved about roller v17 as indicated, and together withthe working bed 19 incloses an air-space through which rushes a currentgenerated by the rapid rotation of said roller. By the said air-currentand the centrifugal action of the brushes and bars the fiber is waftedbetween small grippingrollers 24 and 25, the separated wood beingdropped between the roller 17 and a guard or guide-plate 26. From thegripping-rollers the fiber passes between the endless belts-27, suitablysupported and moved by rollers, as shown, the arrows indicating thedirection of the movement.

Upon the belts are secured transverse combing and rubbing or scrapingbars 28, which are preferably provided with teeth, (indicated at 29.)These bars mesh and draw, rub, and comb the ber thoroughly, disengagingwoody remnants and fine refuse, which fall on the lower belt between itsbars and may be dumped at the outer end of said belt. The lower belt maybe made longer than the upper to provide a support for the cleanedfiber, adapted to permit its manipulation thereon, or the ber may bedropped onto a bar 33 or onto a carrier.

The roller 11 is adjustable to and from the IOO bed 15 by means ofdevices of usual construction, (indicated at 31.)

32 indicates like devices for adjusting roller 17 to and from bed 19.These adjustments will be made according to the character and conditionof the material under treatment.

The improvement is not limited to particular dimensions; but I havefound that feeding-rollers of five inches diameter run at a speed ofiifty feet per minute. Scutchingrollers of eight inches diameter andbrushing-rollers of sixteen inches diameter are very suitable.

Each roller or belt will have a greater velocity than its predecessor,in order to keep the fiber taut and draw it through the machine. Theblades and bars of the scutching-roller may have a velocity of from twothousand four hundred feet to about two thousand six hundred feet aminute and the brushes and combing-rollers a velocity about ive times asgreat, by which the sliver will be veryeliciently brushed, straightened,and rubbed against the smooth bed 19. The combined action of thescutching-blades co operating with the ribs or projections of bed 15 andthe extension of said bed toward an exit between the scutching andbrushing rollers, as set forth, so that woody fragments are first beatenloose and then thrown out of the machine, as indicated, are importantfeatures of the improvement. The guard or guideplate 23, which serves toprotect the brushingrollers from falling refuse and cooperates with thebed 19 and the rapidly-rotating roller 17 to produce an air-current, isbelieved to be new in the combination specified and also the parallelbelts provided with meshing devices to clean the fiber as it is drawnfrom the machine, which matters, together with the others, will beparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In Fig. 2 is illustrated a machine comprising modifications. Therotating frame is made larger and preferably with a diameter of abouteighteen inches. 34 denotes a device adapted to sprinkle with water orchemical solutions and also to deflect the stalks, leaves, or plants. 35denotes a pipe which preferably will carry a sprinkler for washing awayrefuse blown into the chute 3G. .A longitu dinally-corru gated roller 37rubs the fiber against a smooth bed 19', formed in the block 9. Saidblock is situated under the rotating frame and extends around its lowerside, substantially as indicated, so that its outer end approaches avertical line tangential to the circumference of the frame, with theeffect to direct the separated refuse beyond said line. The length ofthe block and bed may, however, be varied. Belts 2", provided `with bars2S that mesh, receive the fiber immediately from said bed and roller andeifectually rub, comb, and clean the same, as above described inconnection with Fig. 1.

In practice the scutching devices carried by the upper frame(illustrated in Fig. 1) will be driven at from three to ve hundredrotations per minute and the brushes and combing-rollers at from sevento ten hundred per minute. The devices carried by the rotating frame(illustrated in Fig. 2) may be driven at the rate of about six to seventhousand feet per minute and the material fed at the rate of about iiftyfeet per minute. The endless cleaning-belts may run about five times asfast as the rubbing-roller 37, which will insure a thorough rubbing,combing, and cleaning action. The speed of the various devices may bevaried to suit different conditions of material.

I am aware that endless chains provided with loosely-supported rollersadapted to interm esh and thereby break stalks are not new. Myimprovement has relation both to the construction and operation of theintermeshing parts or bars and their situation relative tostalk-breaking and wood-separating devices. In my machine the materialis first broken and the coarse refuse separated, and then theapproximately clean fiber receives a filial rubbing action between barsfixed to carrying-off belts, the latter being thereby put to anew use.Said bars fixed to the belts intermesh in close contiguity as suitablefor the nearly-finished product, and they rub the fiber with the effectto loosen and separate fine refuse, which drops upon the lower beltbetween the bars and is separately carried out of the machine. The barsare also preferably notched or toothed to separate the sliver or curtaininto parts situated in different planes, whereby the discharge of refuseis further facilitated.

I am also aware that endless belts have been employed to remove thesliver from the machine. Itis characteristic of myimprovement that beltsare provided with devices suitable to act closely upon the sliver afterthe woody refuse has been discharged therefrom, the purpose being toremove the tine filaments of liber and minute particles often found inso-called cleaned fiber, said belts being a-dapted to deliver the finalproduct of the machine.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a machine forseparating the liber of plants, the combination of feeding-rollers, aworking bed conforming to the upper feedin g-roller, a roller carryingiiber-cleanin g devices,a curved working bed conforming thereto, acurved bed adjacent to and reversely situated with respect to thesecond-named bed and joined thereto by a fiber-bending edge, a rollercarryingfiber-cleaning devices situated adjacent said latter bed, and aguard to prevent woody fragments from falling on the latter roller andto direct an air-current under the last-named bed, substantially asdescribed. 2. In a machine for separating the fiber of plants, thecombination of feeding-rollers, a working bed conforming to the upperfeed- IOO IIO

ing-roller, a roller carrying ber-cleaning dcvices, a curved working bedconforming thereto, a curved bed adjacent to and reversely situated withrespect to the second-named bed and joined thereto bya ber-bending edge,a roller carrying ber-cleanin g devices situated adjacent said latterbed, a guard to prevent woody fragments from falling on the latterroller and to direct an air-current under the last-named bed,ber-gripping rollers, and parallel endless belts provided withbertreating devices to receive the ber from the gripping-rollers,substantially as described. 3. In a machine for separating the ber ofplants, the combination of plant-feeding rollers,plantbreakin g devices,ref use-separating and ber-treating devices and parallel endless beltssituated at the delivery end of the machine and adapted to carry theapproximately clean ber out Of the machine, said belts havingintermeshing devices to closely press and rub the sliver to liberate neresidual refuse, substantially as described.

4. In a machine for separating the ber of plants, the combination ofplant-feeding rollers, ber treating and conveying devices and parallelendless belts situated at the delivery end of the machine to receive theapproximately clean ber and carry it outof the machine, said beltshaving intermeshing bercleaning devices consisting of transverse barsxed to the belts contiguous each other and adapted to press and rub theber, substantially as described.

5. In a machine for separating the ber of plants, the combination ofplant-feeding rollers, ber treating and conveying devices, and parallelendless belts situated at the delivery end of the machine to receive theapproxicarry said refuse while the ber rests on the bars, substantiallyas described.

6. In a machine for separating the ber Of plants, the combination ofplant-feeding rollers, devices to break the plants receiving the samefrom the feeding-rollers, devices to separate ber and refuse arranged toact after the breaking devices, gripping-rollers to receive the ber fromthe refuse-separating devices, and parallel endless belts situated atthe delivery endof the machine and having intermeshing ber-cleaningdevices, said separating devices being adapted to closely rub and pressthe sliver and the belts adapted to move the ber out of the machine,substantially as described.

7. The combination of a rotating frame provided with ber-cleaningdevices, a block having a working bed conforming thereto, a working bedformed in the block on a side opposite the bed rst named, a guard toguide refuse separated on the rst bed out of the machine, a passage forber between said block and guard, and a roller to rub the separated beragainst said second bed, substantially as described.

8. The combination of a rotating frame provided with ber-cleaningdevices, ablock having a Working bed conforming thereto, a working bedformed in the block on a side opposite the bed rst named, a guard toguide refuse separated on the rst bed out of the machine, a passage forber between said block and guard, and a roller to rub the separated beragainst said second bed, said guard being adapted on its under side todirect air against ber moving through said passage, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specication in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL BENJAMIN ALLISON.

Witnesses:

J. C. S. CHURCHILL, GEO. W. MOORE.

